Take a favorite family legend and find the records needed to validate the story. I share my successes and tips for doing research.
Family Legend
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52 Ancestors Blog Posts
Beginnings
I have been interested in family history since my paternal grandmother, Pearl Osborne LaFara, shared her research with me when I was a child.
Wedding
I read about the use of wedding announcements as a source of genealogy information. This was an intriguing idea, so I sought out wedding announcements for my family. There were not many, but I will share a few I did find.
Tombstone
My great, great grandparents’ tombstone is not the simple tombstone of a simple farming couple, but a monument unlike anything found at the graves of my other ancestors.
Service
Before Sadie Osborne became a policewoman, she was a deaconess performing social work in the service of the ME Church.
Where There’s a Will
Jesse King left a legacy in his will for his granddaughter Susan Candess King, in 1868
Land
While researching ancestors living in Colonial Virginia during the 17th century, I found several records of land grants.
Air
During World War II my father, Bob LaFara, was a crew member on a B24 bomber in the South Pacific. The crew was part of the US Army Air Corps’ 819th Bomb Squadron.
Fire
Family legend holds that my 3rd great grandfather witnessed the famed Battle of Baltimore at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. Can I prove it really happened?
Water
My mother tells a story about her maternal grandfather asking her to bring a cold cup of water from the well.